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August 3, 2017
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
Special Pull-out Section Inside
‘Clear Creek is not a lazy river for a long ride’ Tubing on Clear Creek offers fun, but precautions must be taken BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
O
n July 23, while enjoying a family outing that included tubing down Golden’s Clear Creek, Chance Baker experienced the scariest moment of his life. “We almost drowned,” he said. “Thank God for the people of Golden, or the people who were there, that helped pull my daughter out. It was so heroic and brave of them to help us.” That Sunday, Baker, his wife Aui and 8-year-old daughter Taren traveled from Colorado Springs to spend the day in Jefferson County. They checked out Dinosaur Ridge, then headed into Golden for some tubing fun on Clear Creek. Baker rented a tube for him and Taren to share, and a life jacket for Taren. Aui found a park bench to sit on, and a couple of feet upriver from her, Baker and Taren got in the tube in a shallower part of the river. “It was going good for the first 20 or 30 feet,” Baker said. “We waved at Mommy as we floated by.” But soon after, the tube hit a dip, then a rock and started spinning in a current. Baker jumped out to guide the tube to shore, but the water was deep and he went under. Taren fell through the middle of the
tube, but managed to hold on with Baker holding her up from below. “The current was so strong. I fought so hard to try to keep her head above water,” Baker said. “When I got my head out of the water, I started yelling for help.” Baker pushed the tube — with Taren still clinging to it — close enough to the bank where bystanders could help her out of the river. When he saw her standing onshore, he made his way to a shallower area and stabilized himself on his knees. “We survived,” Baker said, “but it was an ordeal.” Consistent runoff keeps river fast Tubing on Clear Creek is a popular recreational activity that attracts people from all over the Denver-metro area. But what starts off as a fun outing can easily end up being a trip to the emergency room, Golden Fire Chief John Bales said. “Even the most experienced people can get into trouble in Clear Creek,” Bales said. “It can be dangerous, even when the water’s not too high.” This year, the fire department has received a slightly higher number of swift water calls, possibly because of a more consistent runoff than in previous years, Bales said. Swift water calls are not always a drowning SEE RIVER, P4
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‘A community’s mobility is one of the most fundamental and important characteristics of economic activity.’ Jeffco Commissioner Donald Rosier | on Jefferson Parkway progress | P6 INSIDE
VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 24 | SPORTS: PAGE 26
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